DAYTON, Ohio ( WDTN ) — There are just over 160,000 Black-owned businesses in the U.S., according to the Census Bureau, but that’s only a small percentage of total business owners in the country.
Black business owners often face challenges like lack of access to capital to get their businesses off the ground. A local Dayton shop is supporting new entrepreneurs and helping customers find them.
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One new entrepreneur is Chinah Jackson, who is a makeup lover and self-proclaimed “girly girl.”
Jackson says she wanted to try making and selling her own line of lip glosses, lipsticks and more. In 2019, Jackson officially launched her business — Mermaid Kissez Cosmetics.
Now, she’s shipping her products around the country and even internationally.
“I just had a shipment like two days ago in India, so it’s like really going good for me. I didn’t expect it to be this big,” said Jackson.
You can also find Jackson’s products set up in the Entrepreneurs Shoppe on West Third Street in Dayton.